1996 Milwaukee mayoral election

none January 2025 January 2025 1996 Milwaukee mayoral election Flag of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.svg mayoral no 1992 Milwaukee mayoral election 1992 2000 Milwaukee mayoral election 2000 March 19, 1996 150x150px John Norquist c0c0c0 82,148 59.91% 3x4.svg Richard Artison c0c0c0 54,972 40.09% Mayor John Norquist John Norquist The 1996 Milwaukee mayoral election was held on March 19, 1996, to elect the mayor of Milwaukee. Incumbent mayor John Norquist was re-elected to a third term in office. Candidates Richard Artison, former sheriff of Milwaukee County (1984–1995) and former U.S. Secret Service agent John Norquist, incumbent mayor since 1988 Campaign Incumbent mayor John Norquist had first been elected in 1988. His 1988 candidacy was boosted by support from a coalition of liberal-leaning white voters and black voters. Norquist was generally described to be a political progressive on maters such as transit, employment policies, and environmentalism; as well as a believer in new urbanism. However, he also held certain positions that departed from the city's prior liberal orthodoxy, including his stances in support of ending welfare and cutting the city's budget.Milwaukee Mayor https://www.npr.org/1996/04/05/1043001/-milwaukee-mayor NPR 3 April 2024 April 5, 1996 While generally popular, Norquist faced political opposition, particularly stemming from to the implementation of a requirement that city and school district employees be residents of the city. Opposition arising from this was particularly pronounced from including among those employed in affected careers, including police, teachers, and members of municipal employee unions. Norquist's sole challenger was Artison, the former sheriff of Milwaukee County. Artison, the first black person to serve as a sheriff in the state of Wisconsin, was seeking to make history again by being elected Milwaukee's first black mayor. Artson had served as sheriff from 1984 until retiring from that office in 1995, having been elected as a Democrat to six consecutive two-year terms. An October 1995 opinion poll showed Norquist and Artison to be the city's two most popularly-liked elected officials. Norquist and Artison both advanced from the primary to the two-candidate general election.Jannene Jeramey City Hall: Street Will Receive Honorary Name For Wisconsin’s First Black Sheriff https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2023/07/20/city-hall-street-will-receive-honorary-name-for-wisconsins-first-black-sheriff Urban Milwaukee 3 April 2024 en July 20, 2023Longoria Thomas Jr. The Impact of Office on Crossracial Voting Evidence from the 1996 Milwaukee Mayoral Election Urban Affairs Review March 1999 34 4 https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=cf6e33ed8f190f1c2733f270f5b143993344407d 3 April 2024 The campaign did not take a racial or overly negative tone. This was in contrast to the negative and racial tone of the coinciding circuit court election between incumbent Russell Stamper (who was black) and white opponent Robert Crawford (who was white). Norquist's candidacy likely benefited from his incumbency, as incumbents rarely had been unseated in Milwaukee mayoral elections. A scientific exit poll indicated that Norquist voters' decision had been most motivated by their perception that he was the candidate who was "most competent for the job [of mayor]". Local journalist Bruce Murphy did not believe that Artison had campaigned with much tenacity, writing, "perhaps no political challenger in recent Wisconsin history has campaigned in such a leisurely...fashion."No Holds Barred https://www.milwaukeemag.com/NoHoldsBarred/ Milwaukee Magazine December 24, 2025 March 6, 2008 Nevertheless, the election was widely anticipated to be a close result.Still Thomas W. The Winners and Losers Who Didn't Run https://www.newspapers.com/image/397207182 Newspapers.com subscription Wisconsin State Journal April 16, 2026 13 March 21, 1996 Opinion polls An October 1995 poll of a head-to-head matchup between Norquist and Artison showed Norquist receiving 48% of support and Artison receiving 40% of support among likely voters. Result Election resulthttps://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-spring-election/128677920/ Final Spring Elections Results Wisconsin State Journal March 21, 1996 20 July 22, 2023 Newspapers.com John Norquist (incumbent) 82,148 59.91 Richard Artison 54,972 40.09 137,120 100 References Category:1996 Wisconsin elections Category:1996 United States mayoral elections Category:Mayoral elections in Milwaukee Category:March 1996 in the United States Milwaukee mayor 1996 Category:1990s in Milwaukee